’m doing a fair amount of research these days on the Oct. 1, 1910, bombing of The Times and have been referring to W.W. Robinson’s slim 1969 book “Bombs and Bribery,” which is a good introduction to the incident and the resulting trials. Unfortunately, “Bombs and Bribery” was a limited edition of 300 copies and can be a bit steep (current prices range from $31.49 to $128.99), so my solution was to photocopy the 52-page volume at the Pasadena Public Library. Another alternative is his 1959 book “Lawyers of Los Angeles,” which contains the chapter “Bombs and Bribery” (Pages 131-154) from which the book was adapted and expanded.

As I have said before, W.W. Robinson is one of my favorite Los Angeles writers. He may not be the most vibrant author – his prose is plain to the point of being sparse –  but he is perhaps the most reliable historian I have encountered. Some of today's popular, widely published Los Angeles writers could take a lesson from his meticulous, airtight accuracy.

Robinson thoughtfully included a map of historic downtown Los Angeles in “Lawyers,” and it’s an excellent reference to vanished landmarks like the 1910 Times Building (1st and Broadway), the Hotel Nadeau (1st and Spring, present location of The Times) and the Natick House (1st and Main).